A typical data storage system stores and retrieves data for one or more external host devices. Conventional data storage systems typically include a storage processor and an array of disk drives electrically coupled to the storage processor. The storage processor includes one or more ports, such as Fibre Channel ports, that allow the host devices to connect to the storage processor and is typically configured to perform load and store operations on the array of disk drives on behalf of the host devices.
In conventional storage systems, such as Fibre Channel storage systems, the storage processor is configured to monitor performance data related to Logical Units (LUNs) which are serviced by the array of disk drives. Within the storage system, disk drives are grouped in discrete sets called RAID Groups or Storage Pools. A LUN is serviced by a particular RAID group or Storage Pool. The essential characteristics of disk groups are defined by type and size of the drive and these characteristics determine the capacity and performance potential of the RAID group or Storage Pool. For this design, the disk type used in the RAID Group or Storage Pool and its inherent performance potential is integral to the essence of the design. For example, the storage processor monitors the disk utilization and LUN utilization associated with the set of LUNs serviced by the system.
As a result of such monitoring, the storage processor generates a report to provide a system operator with an overview of the performance of the storage system. For example, as part of the CLARiiON CX4 system, produced by EMC Corporation of Hopkinton, Mass., the storage processor generates a Navisphere Analyzer archive (NAR) that includes performance information related to the system's LUNs, cache state and RAID groups. In order to optimize operation of the array of disk drives, the system operator can review the performance information in the NAR report and make decisions as to the migration of certain data or LUNs to different RAID Groups or Storage Pools serviced by the data storage system based upon the relative usage of the LUNs, disk utilization and cache state.